Sheet-handling machine for printing-presses and other machines.



No. 814,522. PATENTED MAR. 6,1906. T. G. DEXTER & H. HALLSTREAM. SHEET HANDLING MACHINERY FOR PRINTING PRESSES AND OTHER MACHINES.

APPLICATION PILED DEG.29,1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

qmi l'm com No. 814,522. PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906. T. G. DEXTER & H. HALLSTREAM.

I SHEET HANDLING MACHINERY FOR PRINTING'PRESSES AND OTHER MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.29, 1903. l

-- HEETSSHEET 2.

v01 l'ncmca I MW SIWMDL U W tto'onm e v g I No. 814,522. PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

T. G. DEXTER & H. HALLSTREAM. SHEET HANDLING MACHINERY FOR PRINTING PRESSES AND OTHER MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.29, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

mum

No. 814,522. PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

T. G. DEXTER & H. HALLSTREAM. SHEET HANDLING MACHINERY FOR PRINTING PRBSSES AND OTHER MACHINES. APPLIOA 0N- FILED 1320.29.1903.

tmcooca 152 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4. E5 -451 UNITED STA Es PATENT oFEIoE.

. TALBOTC. DEXTER AND HENRY HALLSTREAMI OFPEARL RIVER. NEW

YORK; SAID HALLSTREAM ASSIGNOR TO SAID DEXTER.

SI'lEET-HANDLING MACHINERY FOR PRINTING-PRESSES AND OTHER MACHINES.

- ed to receive a comparatively stacked b han .ically-elevated table or Specification of Letters Iatent.

' Patented March 6, 1906.

Application filed December 29, 1903. Serial No. 187,015.

or Printing-Presses and other Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Great progress has been made in the art of machinery for handling and operating upon sheet-paper, and particularly in automatic ally-controlled feeding-machines for rapidly supplyin successive sheets to a printingpress, foIding-machine, ruling-machine, or other machine desi ned to operate upon paper. Feeding-machines as now practicall operated are adapted to receive a large stack or pile of sheets of paper upon an automatsupport and feed the successive sheets from the pile to the machine which is tooperate u on the same. This automatic machine Whic continuously operates upon a large pile is of great value in the art because of the long run which it is enabled to make without material attention from the operator. 7 a

While the mechanism for rapidly feeding sheets of aper to printing-presses or other machines as been perfected to a great extent, the mechanism .for re eiv'ing sheets fromthe press or other machine has not advanced to the same de eeof perfection, and in the most enterprising publishing-houses to-day the delivery of a printing-press or' other machineis made upon an or P inary stationary table or fly-board,

whichis adaptsmall proportion of the stack of sheets which is accommodated in the feedin -machine. The printed sheets are periodicaIly removed from the delivery-table or fl -board by an attendant and in a suitable place, and because of t e inability of the delivery-table or fly-board to satisfactorily accommodate and keep in order a large pile of sheets it is necessary that the attendant ive his constant at tention to the removal 0 the delivered sheets to prevent the building up of a pile too lar e forthe proper operation of the delivery mec anism of the press.

To obviate the necessity of the constant attention of an attendant to the delivery of a press or other machine, it has heretofore been proposed to provide an automatically-lowerlng receiving table for the press, which gradually descends as the pile of sheets. builds up upon the table. never gone largely into use for the reason that the have not satisfactorily accomplished the resu View of this undeveloped condition of the re ceivin mechanism for sheets which are delivererI chines we have devised the improvements in Such mechanisms have t for which they were designed. In

from printing-presses and such masheet-handling machinery, as hereinafter pointed out.

The first feature of novelty in our present invention comprises a sheet-receivin under the control of devices w 'ch may be adjusted by hand or automatically by a part of the printing-press or other machine which delivers the sheets or by the feeding-machine which supplies the sheets to the printin press or other machine. This lowering mec anism for the receiving-table comprises, preferably, the same form of vertical feed-screws operating through nuts secured to the table as in the automatically-controlled elevatingtable of the paper-feeding machine. The screws are intermittently rotated for lower-.

' table 6 operated by a suitable lowerm mec anism ing the table the desired amount as the sheets pi e up upon it, and the means for rotating said screws is preferably a pawl and-ratchet mechanism which may be actuated by a suitable connection with the delivery'mechanism of the press or by a connection with the operat ing mechanism of the table-elevating means of the paper-feeding machine. In addition to the operation of the screws which gradually lower the receivingtable we prefer to provide means for controlling the amount of each lowering step or action. This controlling means may be in the formof a controllerplate arranged to operate upon the actuatingv:pawl for controlling the length of its active stroke. This controller plate may have means for adjustin its position by hand with a suitable locking device for holding it in the desired adjusted position, or it may be con nected throughsuitable means with the governor-or, controller of the paper-feedingqnachine tablejso as to regulate the amount of lowering of the receiving-table in proportion to the amount of elevation of the feed-table. In this latter suggested arrangement of controlling the movement of the receiving-table from the governor which controls the elevation of the feed-table it will of course be clear that the receiving-table must be lowered more rapidly than the feed-table for the reason that the pile of sheets which have passed throu h the printing-press will be higher than the pi e of the same number of sheets on the feeding-machine, because of the embossing effect of the printing operation and of the presence of more or less air between the sheets which are piled up by the delivery of the press. This difference in the height of the pile of sheets before and after printing is easily accommodated by arranging for the lowering of the receiving-table more rapidly than the movement of the feed-table, as by differential gearing.

The second feature of novelty in our present invention comprises the combination,

with an automatically-lowering receiving-table, of sheet-jogging devices mounted upon a frame above and independently of the lower ing receiving-table, with means for operating said jogging devices, so that as the sheets pile up upon the receiving-table and the table automatically moves downwardly to accommodate the increasing pile the jogging devices will remain at the same elevation, so as to continuallv operate upon the upper series of sheets of the increasing pile, thereby keeping the pile straightened up. This feature of the automatically-lowering receivingtable with the independently-supported jogging devices, so as to maintain the jogging devices in operative relation with the top of the constantly-increasing pile of sheets, is of the utmost importance in facilitating the rapid and accurate handling of delivered sheets.

The automatically controlled lowering sheet-receiving table with jogging devices, as just referred to, enables us to further extend our plan of facilitating the handling of sheets for printing-presses and other machinery in case it is desired to print or otherwise operate upon both surfaces of the sheets, since the once-printed sheets are received upon the lowering delivery table from the delivery fly mechanism of the pressin just the reverse order in which they were fed into-the press and are accuratel piled in readiness to e fed to the press whic is to print the opposite surface.

This brings us to the third feature of novelty in our present invention, which comrises. the employment of an open front ramework in which the lowering deliverytable 0 erates, the openifront of the framework a lowing for the introduction of a suitable truck beneath the table to allow the table to be lowered upon the truck in readiness to be'wheeled outfrom the delivery-machine to the feeder. -In this arrangement the receivin table will consist of a skeleton framework avin table supporting flanges and lowered by t e screws and a removable'deliv pile-conveying cry-board resting upon said flanges, so that the skeleton framework will -be lowered around the truck and out of engagement with the delivery-board, leaving the board, with the supported pile of sheets, resting upon the truck, so as to allow the pile of sheets to be readily moved away on the truck. extension of this plan involves the use of sheet receiving boxes or trays similar to those now employed in printing-houses for receiving printed sheets of fine work, each tray or box being usually of the proper size to accommodate about two hundred and fifty sheets. When these separate trays or boxes are employed in connection with our im rovements, it will be clear that in starting the operation of printing one of the trays or boxes is placed upon the delivery-board on the skeleton framework of the lowering table to receive the delivered sheets, and as the table is lowered and the desired numberof sheets has been collected in the first tray or box a second tray is placed on top of the first, and this is filled in like manner. This operation continues until a stack of the filled trays or boxes has been collected on the lowering table,

' when they are automatically delivered upon the truck, which has been wheeled into place beneath the stack of boxes, and at the completion they may be wheeled off in the same manner as ex lained in connection with the delivery of s eets without the boxes. In this last suggested arrangement it will of course be understood that the jogging devices could not be employed, since the trays or boxes would interfere with the jogging operation; but this is not detrimental, since the trays would themselves keep the sheets in sufficiently-accurate alinement.

In order that our invention maybe fully understood, we will first describe the .same with reference to the accompanying drawings and afterward point out the novelty with more particularity in. the annexed claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevai A further tion of a printing-press equipped with an automatic paper-feeding machine and our improved"- automatically controlled sheet receiving mechanism. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the sheet-receiving mechanism, showing particularly the pile-jogging devices for maintaining the pile of delivered sheets in proper alinement. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the automatic governor which controls the elevation of the table in the paper-feeding machine and the lowering of the table in the sheet-receiving mechanism. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view, on a larger scale, showing art of the automatic sheet-jogging mechan' ism. Fig. 5 is a detail rear elevation of the sheet-receiving mechanism with parts broken away, showing the self-lowering delive -table, the sheet-jogging mechanism, an the truck. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of a series of sheet-receiving boxes.v Fig. 7 is a detail view illustrating one 2 form of mechanism for automatically controlling the lowering movement of the delivery-table from the pile-governor of. the feeding-machine. Fig. 7 is a detailview illustrating the same form which the controlling-rods are transposed. Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of part of the sheet-jogging mechanism. Fig. 9 is a detail view illustrating the means for operating the sheet-jogging mechanism. Fig. 1G is a detail plan'view of the mechanism for automatically controlling the lowering movement of the delivery-table. Fig. 11 is a detail elevation of the screw-gearing. Fig. 12 is a detail view illustrating a modification of the mechanism as shown in Fig. 7, the arm of the controller-plate being omitted.

For the purpose of illustrating our invention We have shown our improvements in Fig. 1 as ap lied to a Miehle printing-press of the fiat-be type, havin a sheet-delivery mechanism arranged to de iver the successive sheets with the printed side up. This Miehle I press is shown in a general way slm ly for the purpose of illustration, and we would have it understood at the outset that we do not limit ourselves to the application of our invention to any particular formof printingpress, ruling-machine, or other machine which is designed to operate upon sheets of ordinary oscil paper and deliver the sheets in a pile upon a delivery-board. Our present invention may be applied with equal facility to other forms of printing-presses-such, for instance, as roof mechanism, in'

tary cylinder-presses and presses having the atin delivery-fly, which delivers the sheets from the press to a flyboard with the rinted side down.

I In Fig. 1 of t e drawings, 1 represents the framework of a suitable printing-press; 2, the reciprocating form or bed; .3, the rotating impression-cylinder 4, the feed-board 5, the re.- ciprocating delivery-carriage operating upon horizontal ways 6', and 7 a rotating crank connected, through rod'8, rock-arm 9, rock- 'shaft 10, rock-arm 1 1," and rod12, with the deliverycarriage for reciprocating it in roper unison'with the delivery of sheets om the impression-cylinder of the press. This form of printing-press is well known in the art and will not be further described,

forms no part of the present invention.

Printing-presses are usually equipped with automatic paper-feeding machines for su I plying the successive sheets to the feed-board of the press. 14 represents the framework of a paper-feeding machine ,of the Dexter typearranged withifi the side frames and threaded through nuts 17, mounted on the; side since the particular construction of press step, to thereby elevate the -roller 39, is mounted upon a short rock-s provided with a crank-pin 23,

longitudinal y-slotted end 25', in the slot of which operates a pin or lug 26, projecting from an oscillating journaled u on the cross-shaft 28 of the feeder. This shaft 28 is the one which is provided at its ends with the vertical bevelgears, (not shown,) whichmesh with the horizontal bevel-gears, (not shown,) secured to the upper ends of the vertical screws 16,

pawl-carrying arm 27,

which raise and lower the table or platform of the feeding-machine. The cam and crank disk 22, pitman 24, rock-arm 27, and ratchetwheel 32 are arranged outside of the side frame of the ;feeder on the right-hand side of the machine. This rock-arm 27 projects upwardly beyond the cross-shaft 28- and has pivoted to its upper end at 30 a gravity-pawl 31, which rests in operative relation to a ratchet-wheel 32 ,keyed to the cross-shaft 28.

-From this construction it will be observed that the oscillation of rock-arm 27 causes the gravity-pawl 31 to rotate the shaft 28 step by pile-supporting table or platform. The rock-arm 27 has a rearwardly-projecting integral weighted arm 33, which tends to cause the lower end of arm 27, carrying pin 26, to move forwardly and follow the forward end of slot 25 of pitman 24. This action of rock-arm 27 also moves pawl 3 1 back over the ratchet-wheel 32 preparatory to another forward stroke. The pawl 31 is also formed with an integral jecting curved arm 34, under which engages a pin or lug 35 on a rock-arm 36, extendmg from a hand-operated rock-shaft 37, suitably 'ournaled inthe machine-frame and having a andle (not shown) for operating it when it is desiredto disengage the pawl from the ratchet-wheel. This is necessary when it is desired to quickly lower the table by hand or power after the pile is exhausted.

For the pur ose of controlling the elevation of the tab e or platform 15 a governing mechanism is arranged to throw the tableelevating mechanism into and out of operation according to the height of the top of the pile of sheets. This governing mechanism is of the followin construction: A rock-arm 38, carrying a i r'eelyjournaled .pileenga mg aft 40, j ournaled in the lower end of a central deending bracketarm 41 of the machineame. A secondirock-arm 42 projects forwardly from the short rock-shaft 40 and is forwardly-proi IIO 1 o beneat h connected with the lower end of a rod 43, which projects upwardly and is pivoted at its upper end to a s ort rock-arm 44, secured to a rock-shaft 45, suitably journaled in the machine-frame and extending from one side to the center of the machine. This rock-shaft 45 carries a long lever 46 55, one arm 46 of which lu or pro ection pro'ectsrearwardly and is formed with a lateral 47, which rests directly a gravity-dog 48, pivoted to the machine side frame at 49. This dog 48 is supported in osition to engage a notch 50, formed in t e upper edge of a reciprocating bar 51 which is pivoted at its rear end 52' upon the oscillating rock arm 27 and is formed with a slotted forward end 53, in the slot of which operates a stationary guide pin or lug 54, projecting from the side frame. Projecting forwardly from the rock-shaft o is the rock-arm 55, (forming the forward part of said long lever 46 55,) carrying at its free end an antifriction-roller 56, which operates upon the peripheryof the controllingcam 22 on cam-shaft 18 above referred to. 5 This cam-disk 22 has a low portion 22, into which roller 56 drops once every revolution of shaft 18,13l1e weight of arms 38,42, 44, and 55 5 tions, engage and rod 43 being sufficient to cause roller 56 to closely follow the periphery of cam 22, ex-

, o cept when held out of the low portion 22 by the engagement of the roller 39 with the pile. In the normal operation of the paper-feedin machine equipped with the above-described automatically controlled table elevatin mechanism the antifriction-roller 56, carried by arm '55, rides upon the high portion of cam 22'during three-quarters of every revolution of shaft 18, with the result that during said period of a revolution the pile-engaging roller 0 39 is held up out of engagement with the top of the pile of sheets, and the dog-releasing pin or lug 47 is held down out of contact with the dog 48, so as to allow dog 48 'to ride upon the moving bar 51 and, under certain condiagainst movement. During the remaining one-quarter of each revolution of the shaft 18 the anti-'friction-roller 56'of arm 55 tends to drop into the low portion.22 of the control- 5o ling-cam 22 forithe double purpose of allowing the pile-enga ing roller 39 to touch and gage the height of t e pile of sheets and to disengage the dog 48 from notch of bar--51 in case the to of the pile has become lowered to a, suf' I 5 5 ficlent extent to render it desirable to further elevate the pile. If when the roller 56 reaches the low portion 22 of the controlling-cam 22 the top of the pile isstill at the required height for feeding purposes, the engagement of 60 roller 39 with the to ofthe pile will prevent athe roller 56 from ropping to the extreme low point of the controlling-cam and will limit the movement of the lever 46 to such an extent that the lug 47 will not reach the 6 5 dog 48, and hence the d0g 48 will be allowed engaging roller 39 the notch 50 to hold said barto remain in engagement with the notch 50 of the reciprocating ar 51.' If durin any revolution of the. shaft 18 the top of the pile has reached' the limit of its low position at which the feeding-off devices will operate properly, then when the antifriction-roller 56 reaches the low portion 22 of the controlling-cam it ,will dro into said low portion to a sufficient extent by reason of the lowering of the pileto asufiicient extent) to elevate the pin or lug 47 into engagement with the dog 48 to disengage the dog 48 from the notch 50 in the bar 51. The result of this operation will be the release of bar 51, which will allow the rock-arm 27 to follow the itman 24 forwardly, drawing back the paw 31 over the ratchet-wheel 32 in readiness for a feeding stroke, which is accomplished by the return-or rearward movement of pitman 24, actuated by the cam-crank disk 22. This action will be repeated for each revolution of shaft 18 until the top of the pile is raised sufficiently to hold pin 47 down away from dog 48, which will again insure the enga ement of dog 48 with notch 50 of bar 51. t will be clear that for every revolution of the, shaft 18 the pitman 24 is moved forwardly and backwardly, and in case the pawl-carrying arm 27 is held out of operation by the engagement of dog 48 with bar 51 the slot 25 of'pitman 24 wil simply ride back and forth upon the pin 26. of the roelr-arm 27, allowing rock-arm 27 to remain sti 1 is a rod journaled to the lower end of the pawl-carrying rockarm 27 of the feed tab-leelevating mechanism and projecting longitudinally of the printing-press to the deliveryreceiving mechanism for automatically controlling the operationof the receiving-tableunder conditions which will presently be explained. a

,It is at resent the common practice in the art to, de iver sheetsfrom a printing-press, ruling-machine, or other similar machine directly upon a stationary fly board or table. These delivery boards or platforms are frequentl ated s eetjogging mechanisms for kee ing. the pile in alinement to facilitate the suisequent handling of the sheets. In all delivery mechanisms in which sheet-jogging devices are employed it has been the custom to mount the sheet-joggers directly upon the fly-board orplatform, so that the number of sheets that can be strai htenedin a stack or pileupon the delivery-' oard islimit'ed by the vertical dimensions of the sheet-jogging boards, since such jogging mecha'pismsare immovable in a vertical direction and cannot be ad uStd to suit the increasing height of a pile. This limitation of the delivery and jog gmg mechanisms as now commonly employed necessitatesathe constant attention of-the attendant, who must remove the small piles of provided with; automa'tically-opersheets from time to time in order to insure the proper operation of the jogging devices and also to prevent the interference of the o eration of the delivery mechanism of the press. a 1 I One of the most important features of our present invention is the combining, with a I self-lowering receiving-table for a printingpress or similarmaqhine, of suitable sheetogging devices mounted on a support independently of the table, so'that as the pile of sheets delivered gradually increases in height and the table automatically lowers to accommodate the increasin jogging devices will a ways remain in proper o era'tive relation to the top of the pile of s eets, so that they can always operate upon the newly-delivered sheets to straighten them lfpon the pileind thereby maintain the pile in alinement m the sup orting-table to the final sheets delivered at t e top. This mechanism will now be described. I represents one of the side frames of the sheet-receiving machine. The framework of the sheet receiving mechanism is formed, referably, of two' side frames and a back am'rigidly connected and properly braced,

the frontframe being omitted for the purpose of forming an open front to facilitate the removal of the delivered pile of sheets from the machine by transferring the pile to an ordinary printer s truck, which is wheeled in through the open front beneath the table which supports the delivered ile of sheets.

is the self-lowering tab e or platform, consisting of a plain stout board. This table or platform 70 rests at its ends and rear side brackets or flanges 40 upon the inwardlyprojecting horizontal 71, formed on a skeleton frame 72, mounted to move vertically in suitable guideways formed 'inthedelivery side frames 65. Nuts 73, secured to the skeleton, tablesupporting framework, are threaded upon the vertica screws 75, which are journaled in the side frames in the same manner ip the elevating-screws of the feeder-table.

he upper ends of these screws are provided with horizontal bevel-gears 76, which mesh with vertical bevel-gears 77, keyed to the short cross-shaft sections 78, which are journaled in the upper ends of the side frames 65. The shaft 78 is made in short sections, because if it were extended entirely across the sheet-receiving frame this would interfere with the delivery of sheets from the press to the receiving-board. At the rear edge of the receiving-frame 65, below the path ofsheets delivered from the press, is journaled a cross-shaft 80, provided at its opposite ends with sprocket-wheels 81, around which run the sprocket-chains 82, extending up around the sprocket-wheels 83, keyed to the short shaft-sections 78. By means of the crossshaft 80 and the sprocket-wheels and height of the pile the v,

for. a part 0 sprocket-chains the two short shaft-sections 78 are geared together so as to cause them to operate in unison. One end 'of the crossshaft 80 'may be provided with a crank-handle for the convenient and rapid rotation of the shaft-sections 78 after the removal of a pile of sheets from the platform when it is desired to quickly elevate thereceiving-table to its highest position in readiness to start the delivery of a new pile from the press. When the receiving-table is elevated by hand, the automatic mechanism for lowering it is of course thrown out of gear, so as not to interfere with the o eration.

The means or automatically lowering the sheet-receiving table may be ofany suitable construction; but we prefer to employ a me'chanismsimilar to the operating means of the automatically-elevated table of the feed-. ing-machine;

ings. Referring tothese figures of the drawings, is a ratchet-wheel keyed to one of the short shaft-sections 78, and 91 is a rock-arm journaled upon said short shaft-section and having pivoted to it at 92 a small gravitypawl 93, formed with a lateral integral controlling lug or finger 94. This pawl-carrying rock-arm 91 may be suitably connected with any operative part of the rinting-press or feeding-machine which wil give it the required-oscillating motion In Figs. 1, 7, and

10 we have shown the rock-arm 91 pivotally connected to the bar 60, extending from the pawl-carrying arm 27 of thefeed-table-elevating mechanism. InFigs. 7 and 12 we have shown said'paWLcarrying arm 91 connected by a" suitable rod or link 60 with a rock-arm 10 on the rock-shaft 10 of the ress-delivery mechanism, and it will be perectly clear that said arm 91 may be connected with. any other part of the machine which will give it the necessary to-and-fro motion for actuating the table-lowering mechanism.

This mechanism is shown particularly in Figs. 7, 7 10, and 12 of the drawioo For controlling the active stroke of the pawl 93 upon the ratchet-wheel 90 we prefer to provide an adjustable controller-plate 95, freely .journaled upon the shaft-section 78 alongside of the ratchet-wheel 90 and provided with a handle 96 by which it can be adjusted. A stationary p ate 97, having a series of perforations 98, is supported adjacent to the andle 96, and a screw or pin 99 is removably mounted in the handle 96, so as to be inserted in anyone of the perforations 98 to hold the controllerlate 95 in the desired adjusted position. T e controller-plate 95 is arranged directly beneath the controlhng lug orfinger 94 of the pawl 93 so that when the controller-plate 95 isshifted the finger 94 will rest upon the controller-plate during a art. of the stroke of the awl' 93, thereby holding the ipawl disengage from the ratchet its stroke and allowing it to actuate the ratchet-wheel 90 the required portion of the stroke to lower the receiving-table the proper amount.

In place of adjusting the controller-plate 95 by hand, as just described, it may be operated, when the screw or pin 99 isremoved, from the rock-shaft by connecting the rock-arm 10, through rod 60*, with the arm 95 of the'controller-plate 95, as shown in the the controller-plate Fig. 7 of the drawings, or we may operate said controller-plate 95 from the governor of the feeder-table by connecting'rod with the arm of the controller-plate 95 and 0 erating the arm 91, as shown in Fig. 7 of tl ie drawings, from some other part of the machine, as by the rod 60*, connected with the rockarm'10 thereby regulating the roportion of active and inactive strokes of t e pawl 93 bythe automatically-controlled action of the feed-table-elevating mechanism.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the self-lowering receiving-table of the delivery mechanism must'belowered more rapidly than the feeder-table is elevated, for the reason that the sheets delivered from the press make a relatively higher ji ile than the s eets in the feeding-machine.

he reason for this is the embossing efiect of rinting and the presence of more or less air etween the sheets of a newly-stacked pile. This diflerence in extent of movement of the receiving-table over the feeder-table can be readily provided for with our invention. In the form of mechanism in'which 95 is adjusted by hand the operator can readily adjust the lowering 'constitute the main su its upper action to suit the requirements according to his judgment after inspecting the delivery operation. In the form of mechanism in whichcontrolling-plate 95 is automatically adjusted by the feed-table governor this differential action of the feed-table and receiving-table may be provided for by properly proportioning the ratchet-wheels which feed the two tables, or other suitable adjustments of parts may be arranged for.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 2,4,

,5, 8,, and 9 of the drawings, we will describe the independently mounted sheet jogging mechanism which cooperates with our automatically-controlled self-lowering table.

Secured in the upper ends of the side frame machine are the parallel cross-bars an 101, which securely brace the frame of the receiving-machine and port of the sheet-jogging mechanism. Eac of the cross-bars 100 is formed with a series of rack-teeth 1.02 on face adjacent to each end for the purpose which will presently appear. is

one of a series of four adjustable sliding" brackets mounted upon supporting-bars 100 and 101 and connected in airs. One of these adjustable brackets 105 is mounted ad- ,being connected by two of the crate at the side of the sheets an 'jacent to each end of each pair of the bars '100 and 101, and extending-between brackets 105 at the adjacent ends of the two pairs of bars 100 and 101 are the longitudinal supporting bars or shafts 106 and 107, each air of brackets 105 at each side of the mac bars 106 and 107, thereby constituting two adjustable frames or carriages, one at. each side of the machine, and eachframe'or carriage includingtwo brackets 105 and a connecting pair of bars or shafts 106 and 107. Each of the bars 10.7 is provided at its opposite ends, within sockets formed in the brackets 105, with a gear 110, keyed to the bar 107 and meshing with the rack-teeth 102. One end of each bar 107 is also provided with a hand-wheel 111, by which the bar 107 can be rotated. It will'be observed that as each bar 107 is provided with two gear-wheels 110, meshing with the rack-teeth 102 on the two supporting-bars 100 and 101, when the bars 107 are rotated by the hand-wheels 111 the frames or carriages 105 106 107 will be moved inwardly or outwardly upon the supporting-bars 100 and 101 to properly adjust the sheet-jogging devices carried thereby. The jogging devices proper are mounted upon four independently-adjustable brack-' ets mou'nted upon the bars 106'and 107 of the adjustable frames or carriages just described. This adjustment of the franiesor carriages inwardly and outwardly upon the main supporting-bars 10 0 and 101 enables the operator to place the two' joggers at each side of the machine in proper position transversely of the receiving-table to operate upon the size of sheet which is being delivered and ine also to bring the end joggers into position laterally of the sheets. In addition to this transverse adjustment thejogging devices must have an independent adjustment longitudinally of the machine to bring the end joggers into proper register with the ends of the sheets and to bring the dinally, of the side edges of the sheets. It will be clear to those familiar with sheetjoggingl devices as now commonly used that two in ependently-operati'ng oggers are provided to operate upon each of the four s1des of a 'sheet, making eight 'ogging devices in all.

115 is one of four brac ets slidingly mounted upon one of the bars 106 and formed with an integral'guide-bracket 116, which guides upon the bar 107. Each of these brackets 115 is capable of independent ad ustment longitudinally of the bars 106 and 107, a setscrew 1 17 being provided to bind upon the rod 106 to hold the bracket in the desired adjusted position. Each of the' brackets 1 15 carries two of the sheet jogging devices presented at right angles to each other, one ada ted to opmachine to reach the ends of the side joggers withinreach, longituthe other ,plate or board 1 zontally from the guide through which projects a j to move the adapted to operate at the end of the sheets, the first of said jogging devices being arranged longitudinally of the machine, while the second is arranged transversely ofthe machine.

The side-acting jogging device comprises a 20, mounted upon a guide rod or bar 121, rigidly secured to and projecting horizontally from its outer face. This rod or. bar 121 slides freely in a laterallyproj ecting socketed guide portion 122 formed integral with'or rigidly secured to the bracket 115, the said socketed portion 122 being formed with a slot 123 in its upper face,

pin or lug 124, secured to the bar 121. A second pin or bar 125 projects from the outer face of the jogging-plate 120 and guides in a socketed lug 126, secured on the upper face of the bracket 115. Pivoted at 127 to a lug 128 of the jog ging-plate 120 is a rod 129, which passes freel through a socketed lug 130, projecting horiportion 122, an expansion-sprin 131- surrounding rod 129 and being confine between the lug 128 and guide portion 130 to give the jogging-plate 120 a spring tendency to move inwardly into engagement with the side face of the upper portion of the pile of sheets.

-Journaled upon a horizontal bracket-arm is a short vertical roclr-shaft.136, carrymg a rock-arm 137, which engages the pin 124 of the bar 121.

138 is a second rock-arm projecting from the short rock-shaft 1'36 and formed with. a slotted end 139, which engages a pin or lug 1'40, extending up from ablock 141, adj ustably mounted upon a reciprocating operating rod or bar 142; 'The rod or bar142 is connected, througha block 143 and strap 144, with the heel of the rock-arm 9 of the printing-press delivery mechanism, said strap 144 passin around an-antifriction-roller 145 to proper y direct its course. The several independent springs of the jogging devices tend jogging-plates inwardly and ull the rod 142 rearwardly, causing itto fo low closely the movements of the Jock-arm 9.

Each ofv the adjustable. brackets 115 is formed with an inwardly-projecting integral bracket-arm 115 hponwhichis mounted one of the jogging devices which operates upon the front or rear edge of the pile of sheets. is one of the end-joggin plates, formed with the same supporting and guiding bars 121 and 125 and the same spring-actuated rod 129 as 'already described with reference to one f the side-acting jogging-plates. In this en -jogging device ,the guiding and supporting bar 121 operates in a socketed extension '122 of the bracket, and a .pin or lug 124 projects up through the slot 123 into position to be en gaged by the rock-arm 151, extending from the short vertical rock-shaft 152, suitably journaled in the bracket 115 and having a second rockarm '153 projecting from it and connected, through a rod or link 154, with a short arm 155,- formed integral with the rockarm 138. By thismeans the end-jogging de vice 150 is operated simultaneously with and in the same manner as side-jogging device 120 from the longitudinally-reciprocating rod 142. I

The above description oftwo of the eight independent jogging devices arranged around the pile of sheets will, it is thought, render clear the construction and operation of all of the devices, since each pair'of the rectangularly-arranged jo gers at each cornerof the pile is constructe and is operated exactly as described. It will of course be clear that an actuating rod or bar 142, independently connected with the press-delivery mechanism, is provided at each side of the machine, each rod or bar operating the four independent joggers mounted upon its side of the machine.

In printing certain classes of work, particularly fine work or work in which a great mass of color has been deposited upon the sheets, it is sometimes necessary in order to prevent the offsetting ofthe impressions and the spoil ing of the job to deliver the sheets from the press into shallow trays or boxes, which are usually of such depth that they will hold from two hundred to two hundred and fifty sheets each. When such trays or boxes are used to receive the delivered sheets, it is unnecessary to employ sheet jo ging devices for keeping the sheets straight, since the boxes perform this function. We can employ such sheet-receiving trays or boxes with our improved self-lowering delivery-table by simply removing the ogging devices or mov- F ing them back out of the way and throwing them out of operation. In Fig. 6 of the drawings we have illustrated a series of three of such sheet-receiving trays-or boxes, in which each tray or box 150 is formed with side flanges 151 to insure the proper placing of one boxu on another when they are pile .upon. the se f-low'ering table. When these trays or boxes are used, it will of course be clear that as fast as one box is filled another one is slid into place on top of the filled box in readiness to receive the succeeding series of sheets. In this adaptation of our invention it will be necessary to lower the delivery-table somewhat more rapidly than in the ordlnary operation of the machine, for the reason that ample space must be provided for the boxes, which are piled one upon another upon the delivery-table.

Whether the sheets are piled directly upon the table or ina series of trays or boxes just referred'to we have found it very desirable and convenient to provide for the removal of the pile of sheets as a whole from the receiv- IIO mg-machine. We accomplish this by the into osition directly beneath the receivingboar 70 and within the supporting-flanges 71 of the self-lowering skeleton frame, so that when the pile of delivered sheets is completely piled u upon the table it will have been owere upon the truck 175 and free of the supporting-flanges 71, so that it only remains to wheel out the truck 175 with the pile of sheets mounted upon it. This plan of operation is particularly convenient when the pile of sheets is to be printed first on one side and then on the other by two separate operations. In this cas the pile of once-printed sheets collected u idntlie from the receiving mechanism by the truck 175 can be immediately transferred to the paper-feeding machine of the press which is to supply the second impression upon the sheets.

Having thus described our invention, what .we claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a machine designed to operate upon sheets of paper, of a receivin -table adapted to receive sheets delivered 0m said machine, means, for automatically lowering said table as theoreceived sheets ile upon it, and variably adjustable means or regslating or controlling the lowering of the ta 6 to meet the varying require- I ments, as set forth.-

2. The combination with a machine designed to operate upon sheets of pa er, and a delivery mechanism for said mac vertically-movable receivingtable adapted to receive sheets delivered from said machine, means, for lowering said receiving-table, including a ratchet-wheel and an oscillatory pawl, an adjustable controller-plate mounted adjacent to said ratchet-wheel and adapted to -e gage a part ofsaid pawl for determining the length of the actiye stroke of the pawl, and means for automatically adjusting said controller-plate to meet the varying requirements, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a machine designed to o erate upon sheets of pa er, of a feed-table cm which sheets are fed to said machine, means for raising said feed-table as the sheets' are fed off, an automaticv governing device controlling the feed-t'able-raising means, a receivin sheetsare delivered om said machine, means controlled by the feed-table-governing device for automatically lowering said receiving-'ta-. ble as the delivered sheets are and variably-adjustable means or controlling and a movable controller-p the length of its active feed-board and taken away ine, of a -'table' upon which the iled upon it.

the lowerin of the receiving-table, substantially as an for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with a machine designed too erate upon sheets of pa' er, of a feed-table om which sheets are fe to said machine, means for raising said feed-tableas the sheets are fed ofi, an automatic governing device controlling the feed table-raising means, a receiving-table upon which the sheets are delivered from said machine, means for automatically lowering said'receiving-table as the delivered sheets are piled upon it, said.

receiving-table-lowering means including a ratchet-wheel, an oscillator operating-pawl, late mounted adjacent to said ratchet-wheel and adapted to engage a part of said pawl for determining stroke, and means connecting the feed-table-governing device with said controlling-plate, substantially as set forth. i

5. The combination with a machine designed to operate upon sheets of pa er, and a delivery mechanism for said mac e, of a feed-table, suitable elevating mechanism for said feed-table includin an oscillating operating-arm, a governing evice controlling the operation of the operating-arm according to the height of the pile of sheets upon the feedtable, a receiving-table u n which the sheets are delivered from sai machine, lowering means for said receiving-table including a ratchet-wheel, an oscillatory operating-pawl, and a movable controller-plate adapted to enga e a part of the pawl for determining the lengt of its active stroke, and means connecting the operating-arm of the feed-table with said controller-plate, substantiallyas set forth. 7

6. The combination with a machine designed to operate upon sheets of paper, of a sheet-receiving frame, a vertically-movable table supported in said frame, vertical feedscrews journaled in said frame and engaging said table, horizontal short shaftsections j'ournaled in the upper part of the side frames of said receiving-frame and gearedto said feed-screws, a transverse shaft mounted upon said frame out of the vertical path of the table and suitably connected with said short shaft-sections for causing them to operate in unison, means for operating said short shaft-sections for lowering said table as the received sheets are piled upon it, and suitable sheet-jogging devices mounted upon the upper part of said sheet-receivin frame independently of said receiving-tab e, substantially as set forth.

7. The-combination with a machine designed to operate upon sheets of paper, .ofa sheet receivin frame, a receiving table mounted in sai frame, ically lowering said table as the received means for automatsheets pile upon it, suitable rods or bars extending transversely of said frame adjacent to its top, frames or carriages mounted upon said transverse rods or bars, means for adjusting said frames or carriages transversely of the machine, independent brackets mount ed upon said frames or carriages and adjustable thereon longitudinally of the machine, and independent sheet jogging devices mounted upon said adjustable brackets, sub stantially as set forth;

8. The combination with a machine designed to operate upon sheets of paper, of a receivin table adapted to receive sheets delivered m said machine, means for automatically lowering said table as the received sheets are piled upon it, means for regulating or controlling the lowering of said table, a framework supported above and independently of the table, suitable sheet-jogging devices supported upon said framework in position to operate upon the upper portion of a constantly-increasing pile of sheets uponithe lowering table, and means for operating said jogging devices, as set forth.

he combination with a machine designed to o crate upon sheets of paper, of a feed-table .repeivirig-table for om which sheets are fed to said machine, means for raising said feed-table as the sheets are fed off, an automatic governing device controlling the feed-table-raising means, a receiving-table upon which the sheets are delivered from said machine, means for automatically lowering said receiving-table as the delivered sheets are piled upon it, suitable sheet-jogging devices mounted independently of said receiving-table in position to operate upon the upper part of a pile of sheets, and means connecting the feed-table-governing device with the receiving-ta'ble-lowering means, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. The combination with a machine designed to operate upon sheets of paper, of a the sheets delivered from said machine, a jogger-supporting frame inuitable horizontal supporting-bars, brackets mounte upon said supportingbars, each of said brackets comprising a main bracket portion and a bracket-arm extension extendipg approximately at right angles to the main bracket portion, independent sheet-jo ging plates or boards mounted respeetive y upon the main ortion of the bracket and upon the angu arly-extended bracket-arm, and suitable operating means connected with said independent sheet-jogging plates or boards for operating them, substantiall as set forth.

11. T e combination with a machine designed to operate upon ger-supporting frame including suitable horizontal supporting-bars, a series of brackets sheets of paper, of a ygles to each other,

sheet-receiving table for said machine, a jogadjustably mounted upon said supportingbars and each bracket comprising a main bracket portion and an auxiliary bracketarm extension projecting approximately at right an les to the main bracket portion, an independent sheet-jogging plate or board movably mounted upon each of the main bracket portions and upon each of the bracket-arm extensions, suitable guide-rods projecting from said jogging plates or boards and guiding upon said bracket portions, actuating-levers en aging parts projecting from said guide-rorls, means connecting the actuating-levers of each pair of jogging plates boards mounted upon the same bracket, and operating means suitably connected with said operating-levers, substantially as set forth.

12.' The combination with a machine designed to operate upon sheets of paper, of a receiving-table adapted to receive sheets delivered from said machine, a jogger-support- 'ing frame including suitable horizontal supporting-bars, a series of brackets adjustably mounted upon said supporting-bars, each bracket comprising a main bracket portion and a bracket-arm extending approximately at right angles to the main bracket portion, independent sheet-jog ing plates or boards formed with outwardly projecting guiderods which are slidingly mounted in suitable guides formed in and extension bracket-arm portions, pins projectin from one of the guide-rods of each jogging p ate or board, rock-arms engaging sai pins, means connecting the rock-arms of each pair of jogging plates or boards upon the same supporting-bracket, means for operatin said rock-arms for drawing the jogging p ates or boards outwardly, and an independent spring actuating each jogging plate or board for tending to move it inwardly into engagement with the pile independently of the other jo ging plates or boards, substantially as set orth.

13. The combination with a machine designed to operate upon sheets of paper, of a sheet 4 IBCEIVlIlD table adapted to receive sheets delivered from said machine, a j oggersupporting frame including suitable horizontal supporting-bars, a series of four brackets adjustably mounted upon said supporting-bars and each bracket comprislng main bracket portion and a bracket-arm ex ension projecting approximately at right angles to the main bracket portion, a series 0 eight independent jogging plates or boards mounted upon said brackets, two being mounted upon eachof said brackets with their j oggingfaces extending approximately at right ansuitable guide-rods projecting outwardl from each jogging plate or board and slidingly mounted in one of the the main bracket portions ITO brackets, an independent spring engaging X am I muse each jogging plate or board and tending to 1 with twopc'ogmected pairs of jogger-actuating move it inwardly into engagement with the rook-arms, ubstantiall as set orth. L TALBO C. DEXTER.

pile, a controlling or operating rock-arm en- I d with each jogging HENRY HALLSTREAM.

gaging a part connecte 5 late or bar, means connecting said control- Witnesses:

ing rock-arms in pairs and two operating- J. GR EN, J bars each of which is-Jperatively connected WM. E. KNIGHT; v 

